PSY 882: Evaluation Data Collection Methods

Course Description

In the data collection phase of an evaluation, evaluators gather credible evidence to answer the evaluation questions within practical, time, and resource constraints. This course will provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to use various data collection tools commonly used in evaluation. By the end of the semester, students will be able to:

1. Understand why and how to protect human rights when conducting evaluations. 
2. Explain the criteria used to judge the quality of quantitative and qualitative data and apply strategies for maximizing data quality when planning and conducting evaluation data collection. 
3. Write survey questions for a given evaluation. 
4. Find an existing measure of a construct of interest in a given evaluation. 
5. Design a self-administered questionnaire to collect data for a given evaluation. 
6. Use cognitive interviewing to improve a questionnaire for a given evaluation. 
7. Design a qualitative interview protocol for a given evaluation. 
8. Conduct a qualitative interview to collect data for a given evaluation.
9. Plan a focus group for a given evaluation. 
10. Develop a focus group question route for a given evaluation
11. Write fieldnotes based on direct observations of a setting.
12. Design and test a structured observation protocol for a given evaluation. 
13. Assess the usability of agency records as a data source for a given evaluation. 
14. Identify potential secondary data sources and assess their appropriateness for a given evaluation. 
15. Demonstrate an ability to work effectively with colleagues to complete team-based tasks. 

Related Faculty

Krystin S. R. Martens, Ph.D.

Adrienne Adams, Ph.D.